Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Aug.12 (ANI): The chances of Indian shuttlers Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa making it to the quarter-finals of the women's doubles event are almost over after they suffered yet another defeat in their Group Play Stage on Day 7 of the Rio Olympics here on Friday.

After losing the first set, the Olympic Indian debutants produced a much better performance in the second game before faltering significantly in the tie breaker against Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek.

The Netherlands duo took almost an hour to subdue the Indian pair of Gutta and Ponappa 21-16, 16-21, 21-17 in the second Group A match in Riocentro - Pavilion.

Earlier, Gutta and Ponnappa kicked off their campaign on a sour note as they suffered a crushing 15-21, 10-21 defeat against Japanese duo of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi.

In the men's doubles event, Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy will aim to bounce back after their first round defeat when they take on Chinese duo of Chai Biao and Hong Wei in their second Group D clash later today. (ANI)

Birmingham [U.K.], August 18 (ANI): Opener Alastair Cook and skipper Joe Root hammered scorching centuries to help England reach the score of 348-3 in their first innings at stumps on the opening day of the first Test against West Indies here at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground last evening.

Cincinnati [US], August 17 (ANI): Alexander Zverev, whose 10-match win streak was snapped at the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday against Frances Tiafoe, enters the US Open confident and feels his best ahead of any Grand Slam event.

New Delhi [India], Aug.17 (ANI): Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Thursday rejected reports that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) changed its layout plan to allot a plot to an NGO closely associated to him, and said that attempts were being to malign his image.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 17 (ANI): One of the hallmarks of India's football coach Stephen Constantine's coaching career has been his eye to spot players from nowhere and draft them into his squad as part of the team's developmental process.

Johannesburg [South Africa], Aug 17 (ANI): "Accept it and keep going", says 15-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal while offering advice to tennis players who are in danger of skipping the fourth and final major of the season-US Open.

Johannesburg [South Africa], August 17 (ANI): Barcelona general manager Pep Segura has claimed that the club are "close" to signing Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund.

Melbourne [Australia], Aug 17 (ANI): Australian pacer John Hastings, who is currently nursing a foot injury, has expressed confidence that he will be available for selection for the upcoming limited-overs, featuring five ODIs and three T20 Internationals against India.

Lahore [Pakistan], Aug 17 (ANI): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi has lauded his predecessor Shaharyar Mohammad Khan for his contribution to cricket development in the country, as the PCB hosted a farewell in his honour at the Gaddafi Stadium last evening.

Karachi [Pakistan], August 17 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to issue a show cause notice to out-of-favour middle-order batsman Umar Akmal for going to the media with a complaint that head coach Mickey Arthur abused him and had barred him from practicing at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

Cincinnati [U.S.A.], Aug 17 (ANI): Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Chinese partner Peng Shuai showcased a splendid performance as they booked their place in the quarter-finals of 2017 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati following a straight-set victory in the women's doubles clash here on Thursday.

Cincinnati [U.S.A.], Aug 17 (ANI): Fifteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal continued his quest to regain top spot as he trounced Richard Gasquet of France in straight sets to romp into the third round of the 2017 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati here on Thursday.

Mumbai [India], Aug 16 (ANI): The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators on Wednesday took a jibe at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for deliberately misconstruing the apex court's order to bar CEO Rahul Johri and the legal team from attending the Special General Meeting (SGM) held on July 26.

Dambulla [Sri Lanka], Aug 16 (ANI): Indian opener Rohit Sharma, who has recently been appointed as the vice-captain of the limited-overs team, on Thursday said he is excited with the prospect of stepping onto the field in his new role when the national side head into the five-match ODI series, beginning August 20 in Dambulla.

Johannesburg [South Africa], August 16 (ANI): Seven-time Grand Slam Champion Venus Williams has revealed that she has been preparing well for the fourth major of the season - U.S. Open - as well to become a new aunt with his younger sister Serena due to give birth to her first child next month.

Birmingham [U.K], Aug 16 (ANI): West Indies coach Stuart Law has backed the Jason Holder-led side to exploit the weaknesses in the England side and prove the critics wrong when the two sides meet each other in the three-match Test series, beginning tomorrow at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Johannesburg [South Africa], Aug 16 (ANI): Former world number one Serena Williams, who is expecting her first child next month, has revealed that she has set herself the most `outrageous` goal of making a comeback at the Australian Open in January.